Liberty Global Taps Metrological for Netflix Rollout

Metrological said Liberty Global’s rollout of Netflix on set-top boxes marks the first implementation of the vendor’s cloud-based frameworks and the use of standardized components that are designed to streamline the integration of premium OTT services.

Metrological said it has created a hybrid deployment architecture that uses an application framework that acts as a device- and software-agnostic abstraction layer that streamlines the engineering and coding requirements for set-top boxes. The approach also shrinks down the resource footprint for set-top boxes, enabling operators to deploy premium OTT content on older, legacy devices, the vendor claimed.

In September, Liberty Global announced it would integrate access to Netflix on set-top boxes across more than 30 countries in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. It has already launched the Netflix app in the U.K., Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, with more countries on deck for 2017.

“Metrological's Application Platform, which is an integral part of Horizon TV, helped us to streamline this particular Netflix deployment and expedite the time to market,” Doron Hacmon, Liberty Global’s chief product officer, said in a statement. “The flexibility of the platform allows us to continue to innovate by integrating new relevant services in a timely fashion.”

Other service providers that use the Metrological Application Platform include Comcast, KPN, Telecolumbus and Ooredoo.